FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The driver of a tow truck that went through a red light on Fresno’s Fraint Road in April 2023 and crashed into a sedan killing a 22-year-old has been sentenced on Wednesday.
According to officials, John Herbert Ashcraft was the driver of the tow truck. On April 12, 2023, Ashcraft drove a tow truck at Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue . Police say he went through a red light and collided with a car, causing the death of 22-year-old Amaya Chenot of Fresno.
After the crash happened, no criminal charges were immediately filed against Ashcraft, prompting the family of Amaya to file a civil complaint . The complaint alleged that Ashcraft had taken a controlled substance within 24 hours before the crash that killed Chenot.
An aggravating factor that was listed on the charging documents filed stated “the level of methamphetamine in the system of Ashcraft was especially high and in the potentially toxic range.”
During Ashcraft’s sentencing, Amaya’s family appeared in court, stating her impact and how they remembered her.